In today’s world, people shop online all the time. It’s so convenient, it should be illegal. You can buy anything from designer shoes to the most lavish holiday in Hawaii. All you need is a credit card and an “Add to Cart” button. Not all things should be bought online though. As convenient as online shopping is, some things you need to buy from the source and in person, or pay the price of “buyer beware”.
Take hearing aids for example. Such delicate equipment should never be bought from an online store, no matter how attractive a deal may sound. Your ear may not be a life sustaining part of you, but you don’t need both of your kidneys either, and we would all agree that buying one of those online would be a grave lapse in judgement.
Hearing aids are complex, sensitive devices. They require experienced professionals to calibrate and program specifically to a patient’s unique needs. Many hearing aids purchased online are from the United States. These products would need to travel great distances to your door and that fact alone would make repairing a damaged device difficult and in some cases, impossible. Not only are there online scams out there waiting to take your money, there are other less obvious ways of getting a raw deal online. Some large retailers, often get last year’s model and sell it at a discount. What’s more, they configure the hearing aids so that no one else can adjust the settings. If that isn’t a reason not to buy your hearing aids online then what is?
Your ability to hear the world around you is both deeply personal and a vital part of life. There is a big difference between online retail vendors and dedicated health professionals who have made a career of helping people. Independent, full-time, private practices are the best way to finding a hearing aid that is the right fit for you.
To find out more about choosing the right hearing aid, call Schneiker Audiology today.